July 31, 2014

I
know we’re in the midst of the scorching summer and Las Vegas, where the mercury escalates to mind-numbing temperatures
this time of the year, is probably the last place on Earth you’d want to
be.But if you do find yourself in the
baking heat of Sin City, do yourself a favor and pay a visit to Tableau at Wynn Hotel and Casino for an unforgettable breakfast, lunch or
weekend brunch.

I
haven’t reviewed a restaurant in a very long time, and I think that Tableau is an ideal fine dining restaurant
to get back in the saddle.Tableau is a bright and charming little
spot tucked away in the serene vicinity of the Wynn Tower suites.Upon
arriving, you enter a bohemian and whimsical setting with a breathtakingly stunning
décor flooded with fresh flowers, natural light, cozy chairs with adorable
designs on every backrest, immaculate linens, and a gorgeous single rose on
each table.

Besides
the food at Tableau, I cannot rave enough about the staff: impeccably trained, attentive
and eager to accommodate any extravagant requirement.On top of it, even your purse gets a
specially crafted stool to sit on!And
before I finally move on to the most important subject – the food – at Tableau
you have the option of dining inside, in the romantic conservatory while enjoying
a sweeping view or poolside.Everything
here is so classy yet relaxed and the perfect place to spend your day.

Now,
let’s talk about the food, which, in my humble opinion, is particularly
good.From the start, you should know
that Tableau only offers breakfast
and lunch from Monday through Friday, and brunch on the weekends, so plan
accordingly.Also, be advised that the
regular and vegetarian / vegan menus at Tableau change throughout the year, and
seasonal items are added and dropped regularly, but there is always a vast
assortment of tantalizing and sophisticated items to choose from that are
nothing short of stellar!Here are our
favorites:

-Juices
and smoothies

-Roasted
Clam & Corn Chowder

-Handmade
Orecchiette

-House-made
Pappardelle with Duck Confit

-Soft
Shell Crab Sandwich

-Banana-Sour
Cream Pancakes

-Hot
Beignets

-Vanilla
Latte

-Cappuccino

First
off, I need to mention the bread basket.On our first visit to Tableau, we were
treated to a rather traditional bread basket filled with a couple of slices of
sourdough bread, popovers, which I’m mildly obsessed with, and
house-made crackers.Currently, waiters meander
around the dining area with a large bread basket loaded with four different
types of complimentary popovers including cornbread and bacon popovers. Needless to say, I opt for the cornbread while
Adrian goes for the bacon popover.

Tableau
offers an eclectic selection of detoxifying freshly squeezed juices and
smoothies plus an additional juice of the day.Below, you have the Flight of
Fresh Juices, which comes with samples of their three main juices, Orange
Zest (a mixture of orange, carrot, ginger, asian pear and nectar), Red
Deliciousness (a mix of fuji apple, bell pepper, pomegranate, beet and lime),
and Purify (a combination of honeydew, green apple, kale, spinach, cayenne and
organic honey.)

The Roasted Clam & Corn Chowder listed
on the Lunch menu is a must for a corn junkie like me.This soup is sweet and savory, creamy yet
light, with a delicate smokiness, a vibrant punch from the poblano pepper, richness
from the bacon, and a cheesy crunch from the house-made crackers.You’ll also receive a side of hot sauce to
drizzle over the soup for that extra kick of spiciness and light acidity.Personally, I skipped the hot sauce and fully
enjoyed this out of this world super delicious soup unadorned.I was very, very happy!

As mentioned
above, the restaurant provides a generous vegetarian / vegan menu.On our last visit, we decided to try the Handmade Orecchiette with wild
mushrooms, asparagus and fresh tomatoes, although we’re both die hard
carnivores.Truth be told, I didn’t
think there was anything ground-breaking about this dish, but it was definitely
simple, elegant, and very tasty.

To
continue with the pasta theme, our most memorable pasta dish is hands down, the
House-made Pappardelle with Duck Confit.It is a rustic yet refined plate of freshly
made artisanal black-pepper pappardelle pasta served with tender house-made
Muscovy duck confit, sautéed organic spinach, and a poached organic egg, and
finished with a few drizzles of extra-virgin olive oil, fleur de sel and a
couple of shaves of Parmigiano-Reggiano.The good thing about this luxurious delicacy is that it’s a truly
glorious dish.The bad thing about it is
that it’s no longer the menu.But I
wanted to tell you about it so that you see the fine art, quality ingredients
and small details that go into preparing the sophisticated dishes at Tableau.

La
pièce de résistance, however, is without a doubt the Soft Shell Crab Sandwich.A
fat, meaty soft shell crab, deep fried to a perfect crunch layered on fresh
bibb lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes and fried onions, nestled in a toasty
brioche roll and smeared with a lovely creole rémoulade.The sandwich is accompanied by seasoned fries
and a wonderfully sweet and tangy house-made ketchup speckled with tomato seeds
that I couldn’t get enough of.This
sandwich will rock your world and I don’t see it going away anytime soon.

The Banana-Sour Cream Pancakes are the best
pancakes I’ve ever had!They are great
as your breakfast main course, sweet treat or shared dessert after a copious
meal.These sour cream and lemon
pancakes are adorned with slices of banana, nutty and crusty house-made
granola, dusted with powdered sugar, and smartened up with a good shower of
pure Vermont maple syrup.I should
probably add that they are nothing short of spectacular; light and airy, dense
and rich, not the slightest bit heavy or rubbery or bland, but packed with
flavor and delicate texture, just how proper homemade pancakes should taste like.It didn’t take us long to polish the plate
until it shined.

For
a more proper dessert, try the Hot
Beignets injected with boozy caramel sauce and drenched in powdered
sugar.All you have to do is dip them in
the side of decadent chocolate sauce and fully enjoy these boozed-up cottony
pillows.Heaven!

And
to end an excellent meal, order a frothy cappuccino
or a cup of vanilla latte.Either one will seal the deal quite nicely.

One
final word, like with many other restaurants at Wynn and Encore, it’s always a
good idea to make reservations ahead of time.If you’re celebrating anything in particular it never hurts to let them
know.And I’d encourage you to venture
out to Tableau at the beginning of
your Las Vegas trip because you might want to go back!